Close Combat Device

ABSTRACT

A close combat device is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a body having a gripping portion and a bridge portion, a stabilizer connecting the gripping portion and the bridge portion, one or more couplers extending from the body, and interchangeable tips that are selectively attachable to the couplers. In a further embodiment the apparatus comprises a transparent body having a gripping portion and a bridge portion, a stabilizer connecting the gripping portion and the bridge portion, and one or more striking portions extending from the body. In another embodiment the apparatus comprises an elastomeric body having a gripping portion and a bridge portion, a stabilizer connecting the gripping portion and the bridge portion, and one or more striking portions extending from the body.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Application 61/562,969

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX”

Not applicable

ATTORNEY DOCKET NUMBER

0200-1-2921

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a handheld device for use in close combat situations. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device to be used in law enforcement and self defense settings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Law enforcement officers are faced with many dangerous and rapidly escalating situations in the line of duty. Years of development have led to the typical weapons and devices that officers carry when on patrol, including batons and guns. However, this arsenal of tools leaves a gap between a situation where a gun or a baton is needed to strike or shoot a suspect and a situation where a suspect is engaging an officer in close combat. In a close combat situation, an officer needs the full dexterity of his or her hands in order to restrain a suspect. Additionally, a baton or a gun may inflict a disproportional amount of force in a situation when an officer is attempting to restrain a rowdy suspect. Further, when an officer has a weapon drawn, a situation may be more likely to escalate because a suspect may get more defensive. Accordingly, what is needed is a device that allows full range of motion, provides a variable amount of force based, on the target, and can be discreetly drawn.

In the context of self defense, many devices have been developed to assist a person in a potentially dangerous situation, such as walking to a car late at night, for example. Items such as brass knuckles have been on the market for years as a method of warding off attackers. However, brass knuckles are designed solely to aid in a forward punch and do not provide for a variable level of force. Further, brass knuckles are typically designed with a hole for each of the user's fingers and do not easily come off, creating a way for an attacker to take control of a user by grabbing the knuckles. Accordingly, what is needed is a device that provides a variable level of force and can easily slip on and off.

While certain novel features of this invention shown and described below are pointed out in the annexed claims, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details specified, since a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will understand that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. No feature of the invention is critical or essential unless it is expressly stated as being “critical” or “essential.”

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The apparatus of the present invention solves the problems confronted in the art in a simple and straightforward manner. What is provided is an apparatus for use in close combat, comprising a body having a gripping portion and a bridge portion, a stabilizer connecting the gripping portion and the bridge portion, one or more couplers extending from the body, and interchangeable tips that are selectively attachable to the couplers. What is further provided is an apparatus for use in close combat, comprising a transparent body having a gripping portion and a bridge portion, a stabilizer connecting the gripping portion and the bridge portion, and one or more striking portions extending from the body. What is additionally provided is an apparatus for use in close combat, comprising an elastomeric body having a gripping portion and a bridge portion, a stabilizer connecting the gripping portion and the bridge portion, and one or more striking portions extending from the body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The teachings of the present invention can be readily understood by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of a close combat device.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of a close combat device having interchangeable tips in a disconnected position.

FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of a close combat device having interchangeable tips in a connected position.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of a close combat device having a flat body.

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of a close combat device having a beveled body.

FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of a close combat device having interchangeable inserts configured to provide a tight fight on a user's hand.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Detailed descriptions of one or more preferred embodiments are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in any appropriate system, structure or manner.

FIG. 1 is a top view of a close combat device 100 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 shows a body 106 having a bridge portion 101 connected to a gripping portion 102 by a stabilizer 103. In the preferred embodiment the bridge portion 101 may be shaped to go over the top of a user's hand and the gripping portion 102 may be grooved to permit a comfortable grip by the user's hand. The stabilizer 103 may fit between a user's third and fourth fingers. The configuration of the stabilizer 103 combined with the gripping portion 102 and the bridge portion 101 as shown in FIG. 1 provides several advantages over an apparatus with a hole for each finger. First, a user's range of motion is not restricted by the device 100 because the bridge 101 may sit slightly above the top of a user's hand permitting flexibility and full range of motion. Additionally, an enemy cannot take control over the user's arm by gripping the device 100; the device 100 will come off of the user's hand rather than getting stuck on one or more of the user's fingers. Further, the shape of the device 100 does not prevent a user from using other weapons simultaneously. A user may also grip a gun or a baton, for example, without any restrictions on movement.

FIG. 1 also shows a plurality of striking portions 104 that may be disposed at opposite ends of the device 100. The striking portions 104 permit a user to strike an enemy from a close proximity in a way that will cause the enemy a variable level of pain. The user may choose to strike the enemy in a large muscle group such as the calf, forearm or stomach, strike the enemy in a pressure point, or strike the enemy in a sensitive area, such as the throat or an eye. Unlike a classic police baton, a user of the device 100 does not have to reach back and swing at an enemy which prevents a user from opening up a vulnerable area, such as the chest or neck, in a close combat situation. The user simply jabs one of the striking portions 104 into a targeted spot on the enemy's body.

The device 100 may be made out of a rigid material, such as a blend of polycarbonate and fiberglass, for example. In an alternative embodiment, the device 100 may be made out of a rigid transparent material, such as an acrylic, for example, so that a potential enemy may be unaware that the user is wearing the device 100. This is advantageous because when a weapon is a drawn an enemy is naturally on edge and a situation is much more likely to escalate. Having a transparent device 100 gives a user a camouflaging effect while simultaneously providing protection in a potential close combat situation. Alternatively, the device 100 may be made out of an elastomeric material, such as rubber, for example, for use in training purposes to avoid injuring an instructor or a sparring partner. FIG. 1 also shows holes 105 which may be disposed within the striking portions 104. The holes 105 may be configured to receive a key ring, for example.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a close combat device 200 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 shows a body 211 having a bridge portion 201 connected to a gripping portion 202 by a stabilizer 203. The device 200 may have a plurality of mating surfaces 204 and a plurality of male couplers 205 configured to mate with interchangeable striking portions 208, 209, and 210 via a female coupler 206 and a mating surface 207. The male couplers 205 and female couplers 206 may be any suitable type of coupling, such as buttons or crew threads, for example. Mating surfaces 204 are configured to align with a mating surface 207 of an interchangeable striking tip.

FIG. 2 shows three exemplary shapes of interchangeable tips that may be used with a close combat device 200. The different shaped tips allow a user to select a tip that would be appropriate for a particular situation that the user may face. A rounded tip 208 would inflict the least amount of pain and damage to an enemy. This might be a suitable choice for a crowd control situation or an officer responding to a situation involving unarmed people in a fight, for example. A bullet pointed tip 209 is sharper than a rounded tip 208 and would inflict more harm on an enemy which might be more useful in a dangerous situation involving weapons or an extremely intoxicated or high individual that may have a reduced sensitivity to pain, for example. A sharpened tip 210 would injure an enemy the most and would likely be advantageous when the user is in a potentially fatal situation, for example.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a close combat device 200 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 shows a device 200 with a bullet pointed tip 209 connected to the one of the male couplers 205 and a rounded tip 208 connected to the other male coupler 205. The configuration illustrated allows a user to select two different interchangeable tips that might be useful in different situations as described above. By selecting two different shapes, the device 200 may be useful in a wide spectrum of situations with varying risks to the user without forcing the user to change the tips on the fly to adjust to a specific threat level.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a close combat device 200 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. The close combat device 200 shown in FIG. 4 is flat. FIG. 5 is a side view of a close combat device 300 that has a bevel 301. The bevel 301 along the device 300 is advantageous for several reasons including an easier grip and improved sliding in an out of a pocket, for example.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a close combat device 400 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 shows a plurality of inserts 406 configured to fit on an interior surface 405 of the close combat device 400. The inserts 406 may be made of an elastomeric material, such as rubber or latex, for example, which may provide a user with an enhanced grip on the device 400. If the device 400 is made of a transparent material to be used in a camouflaging setting, the inserts 406 may be flesh colored to aid in the camouflaging effect. Arrows 407 represent the direction that a user will insert the inserts 406 into the interior surface 405 of the close combat device 400. The inserts 406 may be of varying width or shape to conform to a unique size of a user's hand.

The following is list of reference numerals:

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS (Part No.) (Description) 100 close combat device 101 bridge portion 102 gripping portion 103 stabilizer 104 striking portions 105 holes 106 body 200 close combat device 201 bridge portion 202 gripping portion 203 stabilizer 204 mating surface 205 male coupler 206 female coupler 207 mating surface 208 rounded tip 209 bullet pointed tip 210 sharpened tip 211 body 300 close combat device 301 bevel 400 close combat device 401 bridge portion 402 gripping portion 403 stabilizer 404 striking portions 405 mating surface 406 inserts 407 arrows

All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise. All materials used or intended to be used in a human being are biocompatible, unless indicated otherwise.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention set forth in the appended claims. The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for use in dose combat, comprising: a body having a gripping portion and a bridge portion; a stabilizer connecting the gripping portion and the bridge portion; one or more couplers extending from the body; and interchangeable tips that are selectively attachable to the couplers.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the interchangeable tips are rounded.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the interchangeable tips are bullet pointed.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the interchangeable tips are sharpened.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the couplers are buttons.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the couplers are screw threads.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body and the striking portions are transparent.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body and the striking portions are elastomeric.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more inserts that are selectively attachable to the body.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a bevel along a length of the body.
 11. An apparatus for use in close combat, comprising: a transparent body having a gripping portion and a bridge portion; a stabilizer connecting the gripping portion and the bridge portion; and one or more striking portions extending from the body.
 12. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising interchangeable tips that are selectively attached to the striking portions.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising inserts that selectively couple to the gripping portion.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the body is rigid.
 15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a bevel along a length of the body.
 16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising one or more inserts that are selectively attachable to the body.
 17. An apparatus for use in close combat, comprising: an elastomeric body having a gripping portion and a bridge portion; a stabilizer connecting the gripping portion and the bridge portion; and one or more striking portions extending from the body.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a bevel along a length of the body.
 19. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising interchangeable tips that are selectively attached to the striking portions.
 20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising inserts that selectively couple to the gripping portion. 